Kaplan doesn't like idealism but prefers realism. But he also says any society needs myths to sustain itself for the long haul. Isn't that myth making idealism? Does realism inspire anyone beyond self-preservation? Don't you need idealism to inspire your own people? Isn't what you really want a realistic idealism — a balance of the two? Why do so many commentators use the realist/idealist dichotomy when really they are arguing over what ideals should be applied? Nobody ever says, I'm a complete idealist without the slightest connection to reality; rather proposals are put forth with the claim that they provide benefits with varying time frames, and what tends to be called realism provides the benefits in short time frames, while what tends to be called idealism provides benefits in longer time frames. Does the book explore this? No, instead we get realism good, idealism bad. Take your advantages today because tomorrow may never come is left unspoken but assumed.

When Kaplan subtitles his book "Why Leadership Demands A Pagan Ethos", I have to scratch my head, since pagan means someone who isn't a Christian or Jew. He's not actually telling us what this desired ethos is, but what it isn't. Does he mean America should be like the Aztecs, and engage in the ritual slaughter and cannibalism of our enemies to strike terror in them? No, what he really means is a generic Greco-Roman ethos (its not just a wrestling style!), or even Jewish ethos — which isn't pagan. What he really rejects is the milquetoast Christianity of leftist elites, who espouse a non-offensive, pacifist (and to me pointless and made up) Christianity. I reject it too, but then I espouse the far more meatier evangelical Christianity of middle America. The New Testament is concerned with the personal, and is silent on public policy, government, and all those things that liberal churches are so concerned with. Consequently, you can have Christians in good conscience for and against many wars, or some who sincerely believe that no war is moral. Is any of this explored? Not in the slightest. I guess I can't blame Kaplan for not tackling a full examination of all the different Christian positions on national ethics, but he doesn't provide any coverage at all and so the reader is left to figure out what he means by inverting his claims for a pagan ethos.